I worked part time for an operation similar to yours several years ago before I started my own. Sounds like a carbon copy of your story plus he constantly over booked himself and got a bad rep for not showing up for jobs or estimates. So he not only had the debt to worry about, but the bad rep was preceding him and people were really starting to talk about how bad his quality of work was. He's still "in business" but he's down to one truck (had 3 before) and one mower (that he's tried to sell several times and even called me about it) and one helper (had a crew of 5 before). I feel sorry for the guy because he has two small children and a stay at home wife. But I knew the first day I worked for him that he would fail. He had no organization, he would pull crew off of a job to go do some other little bs job and never go back to finish the first job. He didn't pay his employees on time. The list goes on. I learned a lot about how NOT to run a business in the short time I worked for him.

Sounds familiar

You have all this work that youre obligated to do. No money to make the payroll that you already have.

But at the same time the phone is ringing off the hook for other work.

You get a landscape job that will bring in some quick high profit money.

Pull the guys off the lawn work that youre losing your butt on so you can do the landscape job. The landscape job will cover your payroll thats due in 2 days.

Now your guys are on the landscape job and the lawns are calling and complaining you didnt show up.

Pull a couple guys off the landscape job to take care of the "pains in the asses" that are calling about their lawns.

2 days later, lawns for the week arent finished. The landscape job isnt finished because you had to mix in lawns.

Customer not paying for the landscape job because its not done.

Payroll is due today.

Gotta tell the guys that just worked 70 hours that week busting their butt for you that you have to pay them a couple days late because they didnt finish the work so you can get paid.

Now you have ticked off customers, unfinished jobs, and really ticked off employees.

And usually throw some oddball in there to ice the cake.

The lawn crew damages something at a house....The supplier cuts you off as youre picking up the last little bit of material to finish the landscape job.

Or the employees refuse to come back to work until you pay them.

So now you have no material, no money, pizzed off customers, an unfinished job, and no employees to finish it.

Yay

And everyone that knows you thinks youre rich. Including the employees.

Good Posts................a little off the subject but How do you guys professionally tell a customer or potential customer you just don't have time b/c you just are too booked at the time (you want to do the work, and need the work but if you do it their is going to be a domino affect like mentioned in posts above, not finishing the job at hand, pulling guys off projects that need to stay put, etc).

Probably my biggest fault, not saying no b/c I am scared another project might fall through then we don't have work lined up.

Good Posts................a little off the subject but How do you guys professionally tell a customer or potential customer you just don't have time b/c you just are too booked at the time (you want to do the work, and need the work but if you do it their is going to be a domino affect like mentioned in posts above, not finishing the job at hand, pulling guys off projects that need to stay put, etc).

Probably my biggest fault, not saying no b/c I am scared another project might fall through then we don't have work lined up.

Thanks

depends on your business plan. EVERYBODY NEEDS A BUSINESS PLAN TO SUCCEED.

yes a business plan is wonderful but if that is your answer to everything then maybe you should explain b/c my question was how do you professionally tell potential customers that you are too busy but not come across snotty etc and still try and keep their business for a later date?

Good Posts................a little off the subject but How do you guys professionally tell a customer or potential customer you just don't have time b/c you just are too booked at the time (you want to do the work, and need the work but if you do it their is going to be a domino affect like mentioned in posts above, not finishing the job at hand, pulling guys off projects that need to stay put, etc).

Probably my biggest fault, not saying no b/c I am scared another project might fall through then we don't have work lined up.

Thanks

Exactly like you just did.

The honest approach almost always works and almost always gets you the results you want even when you think it wont.

Remember.

If youre too busy to do a job....Even if they have someone else do it...They are still a potential customer in the future...

If you take the job...Screw it up...Or make it a bad experience for the customer...They are gone forever.

Do the right thing now. Dont worry about the sale you may lose today. It will come back to you times 10.

Case in point.

Heres a screw up.

I had a commercial customer needing some road signs replaced. The job was practically a freebie, and i kept putting it off cause we were busy.

After them calling a couple times, I got to it. But the signs came in wrong, so i had to send them back and get the right ones. Now i tell the customer its going to be a couple more days.

All is said and done, signs are changed. Customer is happy. Total bill $225.

A month later i drive by and the entire lot is being sealcoated. This is a job worth close to 6 figures. IM FLIPPING OUT....THEY DIDNT EVEN ASK ME FOR A BID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I call the customer, and basically said "what gives?"

Her response.

I figured you were too busy to do this job since it took you so long to get to the signs.

Lesson learned.

I didnt want to give up the sign work and it cost me a six figure job.